Stepter Qualifies with Blistering Sprint at Hilltop Invite
William Penn University Athletics
Mount Vernon–Carlos Stepter (Sr., Highland Park, Mich., Highland Park HS) has become the fifth member of the Penn track and field programs to qualify for nationals as he blew away the competition at the Hilltop Invitational hosted by Cornell Saturday.
The senior had the best preliminary time in the 55-meter dash, finishing in 6.48 seconds. As good as that time was, Stepter bettered it considerably, winning the event in a time of 6.42 seconds, 0.02 seconds faster than the NAIA’s automatic qualifying time. The time is believed to be a school record in the 55 (records inconclusive at this time).
He will join Gabriel Green (So., Anniston, Ala., Anniston HS) (60 and 200-meter dashes), Katie Burnett (Sr., Mesa, Ariz., Arizona) (3,000-meter race walk), Jonathan Pope (Sr., Starkville, Miss., Starkville HS) (high jump), and Royce Clay (Sr., Miami, Fla., Booker T. Washington HS) (triple jump) at the NAIA national meet in March. Stepter will run in the 60-meter dash at nationals (no 55 event at nationals).
Green made it two in the 55’s top ten as he was sixth with a time of 6.59 seconds.
Pope joined Stepter in the winner’s circle, claiming the high jump crown with a mark of 6-5.5, two inches higher than the next best athlete.
Penn had two top-five finishers in the 400-meter dash as well with Green taking third at 51.05 seconds and Josh Roudabush (Sr., Brooklyn, BGM HS) right behind him in fourth at 51.90 seconds.
Kipp Schuler (Sr., Haviland, Kan., Dana) led the distance runners by placing eighth in the 3,000-meter run in a time of 9:25.22, while Dexter Jordan just missed the top ten in the 800-meter run, taking 11th in a time of 2:04.98.
Clay headlined the performances in the horizontal jumps by claiming seventh place with a jump of 19-9.5.
Joshua Olson (Fr., Hanover, Ill., Servanne HS), with a shot put of 37-8, and Michael Fulton (Jr., St. Louis, Mo., Eureka HS), with a weight throw of 39-3.75, also both set new season highs for Penn in their respective events.
Ashley Lyons (Fr., Wichita, Kan., Wichita Collegiate HS) paced the Penn women with a strong shot put performance, placing fifth with a season-best throw of 40-0.75.
Jessica Bixler (Sr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) also did well, winning her flight and qualifying for the finals in the long jump. The senior eventually finished eighth with a season-long mark of 15-3.25.
Next: Penn travels to Sterling, Ill. next Saturday to compete in the Midwest Collegiate Conference Indoor Championships.
